A new group has arrived to campus bringing advocacy, education and support. The group is called National Alliance on Mental Illness.

NAMI is a national organization that is broken down into state affiliates and is trying to restart its own specific group, NAMI BGSU on campus.

“We try to make someone feel as comfortable as possible,” Senior Kimberly Volponi said. “Having a mental illness just makes someone who you are, it’s not some terrible thing lurking over your shoulder.”

The Executive Director of NAMI Wood County, Jessica Schmitt, explained that NAMI is all about helping and educating people.

Though the group is in its beginning stages, members are hoping the group will become larger throughout time.

Volponi said that there are only about five or six people involved at this point in time and there needs to be 10 to be officiated by the University.

Currently meetings are about how to get people involved with the group and ways to become established.

Events are being posted on Campus Updates and fliers can be found around campus, she said.

There are also tables at events such as College Fest and the Get Involved fair.

All of the programing for NAMI is peer facilitated and taught by someone who has been trained by NAMI Ohio, she said.

Because a lot of people aren’t educated enough about mental illnesses, this group may help with that.

“Mental illness first and foremost will affect 1 in 4 individuals ages 18 and over in his or her life in the United States,” Schmitt said. “With a prevalence rate being so high at 26.4 percent, according to the national institute of mental health, it affects a lot of people.”

Schmitt also said that since major mental illness usually strikes between ages 18 and 24 it is important for college students to become involved.

Support groups are offered in a variety of ways and most of the programming for NAMI is free Schmitt said.

Taylor Newlove, a second year Graduate Student became involved in NAMI because she never wants anyone to feel alone at the University.

Suffering from a mental illness, or knowing someone who is suffering from one, may be hard for someone to talk about, but this group is there to help with that, she said.

Newlove said that Falcons are family and people care about each other.

Meetings for NAMI BGSU are every other Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Olscamp 120. Contact [email protected] for more information.

“NAMI provides a safe space where individuals can feel supported and cared about,” Newlove said. “They also have the opportunity to share their experiences and learn from others.”